Fantastic, Christmas is here again! The annual series of work dos, nights out with friends and family, and mulled wine (or whatever your tipple) aplenty. No other time of year allows such an indulgence in good food and drink and general celebration, which can last up to an entire month, guilt-free!

Well almost guilt-free, as there’s one thing some motorists seem to trip up on year after year, prompting a myriad of warnings from the industry, and that’s drink-driving, or ignorance about drink-driving.

The results of a poll by soft drink makers Iron Press released on Wednesday (15 December) and seen by The Fuelcard Company showed one third of men admit to driving while over the legal drink-drive limit, with 18 per cent claiming to have done so regularly.

The poor reasons cited for this include social image, with nearly half of respondents saying peer pressure causes them to drink more. Thirty per cent claim it is not “manly” to be seen with a soft drink, with some saying they would feel like a “wuss” if they ordered a soft drink.

Frankly, grow up! These reasons are nowhere near good enough to justify risking a serious or even fatal accident because of drink.

However, there are less obvious risks that even the most conscientious motorists may not be aware of, such as ‘morning after’ drink-driving, and eating alcohol-rich festive foods such as Christmas pudding.

New research by Brake and Direct Line has highlighted a rise in motorists risking their lives and the lives of others by driving early in the day after drinking excessively the night before. Four in ten drivers polled admitted to doing this over the past seven years.

Meanwhile, even the Christmas pudding, the much-loved festive staple, is not as innocent as it looks. Analysis of these delicious sweet treats available from most major supermarkets revealed that many may be of high enough alcohol content to push drivers over the limit, according to the Telegraph. One Marks and Spencer pud was a whopping 21.5 per cent alcohol!

Our advice? Maybe opt for the trifle or cheese board instead this year!